{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-slams-clear-disconnect-across-the-biden-administration-on-ukraine-policy/", "Ricketts Slams \u201cClear Disconnect Across the Biden Administration\u201d on Ukraine Policy", "2024-09-05", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Pete Ricketts", "R000618", "www.ricketts.senate.gov", "ricketts", "https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list&pagenum=", "scraper", "September 4, 2024\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, slammed the \u201cclear disconnect across the Biden administration\u201d on Ukraine policy following public comments that conflicted with testimony given to Ricketts during a Subcommittee hearing.\n\nAt a Subcommittee hearing in July, James C. O\u2019Brien, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, said fears of Russian escalation had nothing to do with the administration\u2019s decision to limit weapons available to Ukraine. Since then, public comments from Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh and National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby have contradicted O\u2019Brien\u2019s testimony. Ricketts\u2019 letter was also sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.\n\n\u201cEscalation fears should not form the foundation of our efforts to defend our allies and partners,\u201dwrote Ricketts in the letter. \u201cNeither should the false hope of normalizing future relations with autocratic dictators who have proven they will never share our values or act responsibly. Yet, from Russia, to Iran, to the People\u2019s Republic of China, fear and appeasement have defined this administration\u2019s policy.\u201d\n\n\u201cStill, this administration seems committed to repeating instead of learning from its mistakes over the past two and half years,\u201d closed Ricketts. \u201cIt appears determined to let fear of escalation preserve the status quo instead of allowing Ukraine the best path to victory. And, as its decision to send long-range missiles to Germany hypocritically illustrates, it expects Ukraine to fight this war in a manner that both the United States and our NATO allies would deem ineffective.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter can be found here and below:\n\nSeptember 3, 2024\n\nThe Honorable James C. O\u2019Brien\n\nAssistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs\n\nU.S. Department of State\n\n2201 C Street, NW\n\nWashington DC, 20520\n\nDear Assistant Secretary O\u2019Brien,\n\nI write to express my profound frustration regarding the clear disconnect across the Biden administration concerning its continued prohibition on Ukraine\u2019s ability to strike military targets deep into Russian territory with U.S.-provided weaponry.\n\nOn July 30, you testified before the Senate Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee on \u201cThe Future of Europe.\u201d At the hearing, you agreed that the Biden administration\u2019s decision to deploy future long-range missiles in Germany capable of threatening military targets deep into Russia strengthens NATO\u2019s defense posture by complicating Russian planning efforts. However, when I asked how the administration can defend this decision while simultaneously limiting Ukraine\u2019s ability to use ATACMS for the same purpose, you explained the discrepancy comes down to ensuring Ukraine utilizes weapons efficiently. You were clear that the administration\u2019s current limitation on Ukrainian long-range strikes has nothing to do with a fear of Russian escalation, despite President Biden\u2019s comments at the NATO summit indicating otherwise. In fact, you said, \u201cI know some people talk about escalation ladder concern. I have got to say, inside the government, the conversation is about where can these things be effective.\u201d\n\nIt has become clear this is not the case. At a press briefing on August 15, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh was similarly asked about the reasoning for the administration\u2019s restrictive policy. However, in her response, while initially echoing your answer regarding effectiveness, she also said, \u201cAnd of course, we\u2019re worried about escalation. So just because Russia hasn\u2019t responded to something doesn\u2019t mean that they can\u2019t or won\u2019t in the future. And that\u2019s something that the administration is always weighing.\u201d Similarly, on August 23, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby, when asked whether Ukraine\u2019s incursion into Kursk has changed considerations about escalation risks or so-called Russian red lines, responded, \u201cWe\u2019ve been watching escalation risks since the beginning of this conflict, and that ain\u2019t gonna change.\u201d\n\nEscalation fears should not form the foundation of our efforts to defend our allies and partners; neither should the false hope of normalizing future relations with autocratic dictators who have proven they will never share our values or act responsibly. Yet, from Russia, to Iran, to the People\u2019s Republic of China, fear and appeasement have defined this administration\u2019s policy. Since Russia\u2019s full-scale, illegal invasion, time and again, the Biden administration has argued against providing Ukraine some weapon or capability only to change course after months of public and congressional pressure. Even today, we have seen no dramatic escalation by Russia despite the Ukrainian military\u2019s ongoing operation inside Russian territory.\n\nStill, this administration seems committed to repeating instead of learning from its mistakes over the past two and half years. It appears determined to let fear of escalation preserve the status quo instead of allowing Ukraine the best path to victory. And, as its decision to send long-range missiles to Germany hypocritically illustrates, it expects Ukraine to fight this war in a manner that both the United States and our NATO allies would deem ineffective.\n\nI encourage you to urgently discuss reversing this short-sighted policy with your colleagues in the White House and across the interagency. Let\u2019s stop slow rolling this decision and give Ukraine the best opportunity to win.\n\nSincerely,\n\nPete Ricketts\n\nRanking Member\n\nSenate Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation\n\nCC: Secretary Antony Blinken\n\nDepartment of State", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:46:43Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-releases/ricketts-slams-clear-disconnect-across-the-biden-administration-on-ukraine-policy/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.333627151325345, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}